1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the invention relates to devices which allow a person to pick up an object from a resting place without requiring the person to bend over or squat down. More specifically, the invention relates to such devices which may be utilized to pick up golf balls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The playing of golf is an extremely popular activity which millions of people enjoy participating in on a regular basis. Devices having features of the present invention may be employed by golfers of all ages, of all skill levels and of all levels of physical abilities. Such devices are particularly suited to scramble play and play by persons lacking the physical dexterity to comfortably perform all of the required activities associated with bending or squatting which must be repetitively performed during each round of golf. Additionally, use of devices having features of the present invention will allow persons currently hesitant or even unwilling to participate in golf due to physical limitations to participate and enjoy golf by eliminating the requirement of repetitive bending over or squatting down during play.
Scramble play typically involves two or four players with each player making a shot from the tee. Subsequent to these shots all of the players make each successive shot from the location of the best played golf ball in the scramble group. Therefore, each of the other golf balls must be picked up from the ground and transported to the location of the best positioned golf ball and repositioned thereat for subsequent play from that location. Typically, scramble players utilize a golf cart with two players riding therein during each round. Even though discouraged by golf course operators, many scramble players will drive their golf cart adjacent to each of the golf balls to be picked up and then lean out of the golf cart and pick up the golf ball from the ground with his or her hand rather than getting out of the golf cart and bending over or squatting down to retrieve the golf ball. This leaning out practice is dangerous and has been known to cause accidents where persons have fallen out of the golf cart including the occurrence of such accidents where serious injury has resulted.
Examples of bending or squatting activities which must be repetitively performed during each round of golf may include installing a tee in the ground, placing a golf ball on the tee, picking up the tee subsequent to striking the golf ball positioned thereon, placing a ball marker at the location of the golf ball on the green, picking up the golf ball adjacent the ball marker, positioning the golf ball adjacent the ball marker, picking up the ball marker subsequent to positioning the golf ball adjacent thereto, removing the golf ball from the hole and retrieving the golf ball from areas where continued play is not advisable.
Often golf shots result in placement of golf balls in locations where the golf ball is visible to the player but where retrieval of the golf ball is inconvenient, dangerous or simply impossible. Examples of such locations include down steep inclines, under heavy low lying branches of trees and in bodies of water. Often golf balls in these situations may be retrieved if the player has access to a retrieval device with sufficient extension capabilities and an engagement device capable of engaging the golf ball. Typically, such long range retrieval devices are specifically designed to act to retrieve golf balls from a long distance and are awkward or inconvenient to use for routine retrieval tasks where the player is standing directly over the golf ball.
Various devices are known in the art to allow for retrieval of golf balls from the ground or from a water hazard. These devices may be employed while the player stands over the golf ball in close proximity to the golf ball or where the player stands a substantial distance from the golf ball. Several of these devices are versatile in that they permit use either at close range or at a substantial distance from the golf ball. Various methods are known in the art to provide for extension of a pick up device from a transport orientation to a deployed orientation where the deployed orientation has a length sufficient to permit a standing user to utilize the pick up device at a relatively great distance from the object being picked up and several of these methods have previously been employed for golf ball retrieval devices. Generally, the devices known in the art for golf ball retrieval are complicated devices which often rely upon a surrounding jaw type engagement of the golf ball during the act of retrieval.
Various devices are known in the art to permit a standing golfer to insert a tee into the ground. Various devices are known in the art to permit a standing golfer to mark a positional location of a golf ball on the ground prior to removal of the golf ball from the ground. Various devices are known in the art to permit a standing golfer to place a golf ball on the ground. Various devices are known in the art to permit a standing golfer to pick up a tee from the ground including those tees lying on the ground and those tees inserted in the ground and standing generally vertical. Generally, the devices to perform the above mentioned peripheral actions during the play of golf are solitary devices which perform a single dedicated function or which perform a pair of closely related functions.
As can be seen, various attempts have been made to provide for manipulation of golf balls and associated golf accessories during the play of golf. These attempts have been less efficient than desired. As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a golf ball pick up device which is simple in design, is simple to use and which may function in various situations. The present invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of golf ball pick up devices, your applicant has devised a method of picking up a golf ball from a ground surface and transferring the golf ball to an elevated location for subsequent release. Golf ball pick up devices of the present invention will have an elongated handle, a tubular housing and a tension member. The elongated handle has opposing ends with one of these ends being a gripping end with the opposing end being a distal end. The tubular housing has a first opening, a second opening and a cavity positioned between the first opening and the second opening. The tubular housing is attached to the distal end of the elongated handle with the first opening of the tubular housing positioned away from the gripping end of the elongated handle and the second opening of the tubular housing positioned toward the gripping end of the elongated handle. The tension means provides for a displacement resistance from a static position or natural position. The displacement resistance of the tension means is insufficient to prevent passage thereby of the golf ball into the cavity of the tubular housing through the first opening of the tubular housing of the golf ball pick up device while the first opening of the tubular housing of the golf ball pick up device is positioned over the golf ball while the golf ball rests on the ground surface and a downward pressure is applied to the golf ball pick up device. The displacement resistance of the tension means is sufficient to prevent passage thereby of the golf ball from the cavity of the tubular housing through the first opening of the tubular housing of the golf ball pick up device while the golf ball is positioned within the cavity of the tubular housing.
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the particular combinations of them herein disclosed and it is distinguished from the prior art in these particular combinations of these structures for the functions specified.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may be used to pick up a golf ball from the ground and transfer that golf ball to an elevated location for subsequent release.
Other objects include;
a) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may pick up multiple golf balls.
b) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may be conveniently used while the player resides in a sitting position in a golf cart.
c) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may be used to retrieve golf balls from a submerged position in a body of water.
d) to provide for golf ball pick up device which may be readily converted into an orientation where retrieval of a golf ball may occur while the player is located a significant distance from the golf ball.
e) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may also be utilized to retain a golf tee during insertion into the ground where the player does not have to bend over or squat down during any portion of the installation of the golf tee into the ground.
f) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may also be utilized to pick up golf tees from the ground while the golf tee either is lying on the ground or still inserted into the ground where the player does not have to bend over or squat down during any portion of the procedure of picking up the golf tee from the ground.
g) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may also be utilized to place a ball marker on the ground adjacent a golf ball and prior to removal of the golf ball from the ground where the player does not have to bend over or squat down during any portion of the procedure of placing the ball marker on the ground.
h) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may also be utilized to pick up a ball marker positioned on the ground subsequent to placement of a golf ball adjacent the ball marker where the player does not have to bend over or squat down during any portion of the procedure to pick up the ball marker from the ground.
i) to provide for a golf ball pick up device which may also be utilized to place a golf ball in a specific location either on the ground or upon a golf tee installed in the ground where the player does not have to bend over or squat down during any portion of the procedure of placing the golf ball on the ground or on the golf tee installed in the ground.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated the preferred embodiments of the invention.